


The Targaryen Invasion

by thegoodplaceispyke



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 14:27:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15026654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegoodplaceispyke/pseuds/thegoodplaceispyke
Summary: /set at the end of season 6/Daenerys struggles with her retaking of Westeros, questioning whether she wants to, or even can, play the game of thrones. When even her allies doubt her abilities as a queen, she wonders if the iron throne was even meant for her. Her decisions push away those close to her- even Yara. Maybe she should've just stayed in  Essos.





	1. Yara I

Normally the sea air comforted Yara, but it didn’t at that moment. The sea was too warm, the crew was unfamiliar, and she wasn’t even the most powerful person on the ship. She ran her hand along the railing, pausing to look across the sea ahead. The shores of Dorne were a mere two days away, and upon arriving in Dorne, Yara would become one of the key players in the biggest invasion of Westeros since Aegon and his sisters flew across the Narrow Sea.  
But it was fear, not anticipation, that filled Yara’s heart. No rebellion against the Crown ever ended well for House Greyjoy; the latest one led to her House’s humiliation and Theon being torn from her and turned into an empty shell. She couldn’t help but relive the moment when she had to leave her brother in the hands of a sadist and return home having failed her family. Her father’s mocking taunts echoed around her head, weighing her down with doubt- she felt like she'd always be a failure in his eyes, and now, she could never prove to him otherwise. If she couldn’t save her brother, how could she hope to lead the navy of a conquering queen?  
It was in her doubt and fear that she didn’t notice that Daenerys had placed her warm hand on top of hers, the other hand gently wiping away the tears that laced Yara’s cheeks. It was as if she knew exactly what Yara was thinking, and exactly what to say that would make her feel better. But that wasn’t what Daenerys said, and it wasn’t what Yara wanted to be told. They were on a ship surrounded by Unsullied soldiers and Dothraki screamers, Yara couldn’t appear weak.  
“I won’t have my Captain crying on a ship that is days away from arriving upon Westerosi shores.”  
A small smile lit up across Yara’s face whenever Dany called her ‘her Captain’. “And I won’t have my Queen worrying about her sailor when she’s about to retake her rightful throne.”  
Dany’s hands were on Yara’s waist now, “You’re so much more to me than just a sailor.”  
“Then prove it.”  
And with that, Dany pulled Yara into a long, passionate kiss. All of Yara’s worries fell to the side.  
*  
Yara woke up in a daze, her arms wrapped around her queen’s sleeping body. She kissed the back of her head and dragged herself out of bed, taking a moment to look and Dany’s sleeping form. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but what they had couldn’t last forever. A queen needed a king, or so everyone said. Yara longed to sit beside Dany on the Iron throne, as a pair of queens ruling their kingdoms together. The thought was comforting, distracting Yara from the fact that she would soon have to watch as Dany was courted by the lords of various great Houses, see them marry then watch as Dany would become pregnant and bear his children as heirs to the throne. Yara’s responsibilities of the morning suddenly lost any relevance, as she returned to their bed, pulling Dany close to her.  
Dany awoke when she felt Yara’s arms around her. Her sleepy eyes were beautiful, shining in the dim light of their cabin. “I’ll make it a capital offence to wake a sleeping queen before noon.” She mumbled, still half asleep.  
Yara laughed, falling more and more in love with the white-haired woman. “But what if she is only awoken because her captain wants to see her beautiful face.”  
“I don’t think my face disappears every time I go to sleep.”  
“But your eyes close, and your eyes are beautiful, deeper than any sea I’ve ever sailed across.”  
Dany blushed at this, she placed her body on top of Yara’s and laughed. “I guess you’re forgiven.”  
In one sweeping movement Yara had put herself above Daenerys and kissed her. “Allow me to earn my forgiveness, my queen.”


	2. Ellaria I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellaria looks out to the sea and doubts if the Targaryen invasion will be successful, maybe some conversations with her new allies will put her mind at ease.

She looked eastward, across the Narrow Sea. In two days, she’d have the whole Targaryen rebellion sat at her court, planning how they’d put a Targaryen back on the Iron throne. But she was pessimistic, cautious of the future, not fully believing in Daenerys or her ability to restore justice to Westeros. She laughed to herself, there was never any justice in Westeros to start with; how could anyone claim to bring back something that was never there?  
There was a change in the air and she felt the presence of Olenna Tyrell beside her. She turned to her side and bit her lip, unsure of how best to phrase her question. She didn’t have to worry about it for long, however. “You want to say it, but you don’t know how. I know what you want to say so here’s my response: no, I didn’t back her because I think she’ll be a good queen, and neither did you. We both backed a Targaryen for one reason and one reason only.”  
“To see Cersei Lannister die.” They said in unison.  
A grim smile formed on Ellaria’s lips, there was more that the two could say, but Varys had ears everywhere, even in Sunspear, and wouldn’t hesitate to report any potential dissidence to Daenerys.  
“It’s moments like this that I wish we were launching the invasion from Highgarden. It’s too hot and the gardens and halls carry too much of an echo.”  
Ellaria scoffed “I would be insulted by that under normal circumstances.”  
“And these aren’t normal circumstances? It’s a plot against whoever sits on the throne, and people planning to put a different idiot on the throne. Rebellion against the Crown is all that the seven kingdoms know.”  
Ellaria sipped her goblet of wine, “I wouldn’t go as far to call Daenerys an idiot.”  
Olenna scoffed at that “And here I was, thinking I’d found someone almost as smart as I am.” With that, Olenna began walking away.  
“Our Houses are dead, Lady Olenna, once Cersei is dead we’ll have nothing to fight for. I don’t care if we put a wise woman or a maniac on the throne, once Cersei is dead we’ll have done our part, any idiot knows that.”  
“You still have a family, what of your daughter? Should she become princess of Dorne, would you not wish she were safe? A mother will only have done her part if she dies knowing that her family is safe. I’ll never do that, but maybe you will.”  
Ellaria let Olenna walk away, and she finished her wine in silence, the wind blowing through her hair.  
*  
The Spider stood beside her, both shifted uncomfortably. Ellaria looked at him from the corner of her eye and wondered how he could know so much, scheme so well, yet not be the one sitting on the Iron throne. The Targaryen fleet covered the horizon, Ellaria knew that they’d be arriving soon enough that she’d be sharing her next meal with the Mother of Dragons. She was unsure of how she’d find the new queen when she saw her in the flesh, instead of as the almost mythical goddess that she had been described to her as.   
“I hope you know what you’re getting you and your people into.” A sly voice said.  
“Lord Varys, how could I decline a man who has sailed across the world to give me such a lucrative offer. Taking a Lannister off the throne and replacing it with a Targaryen, it sounds like an excellent plan.”  
“Please, just Varys. Nobody is under any requirement to me a Lord.”  
“And yet everyone does.” Ellaria was suspicious of any person who was referred to by titles that they did not have- like Daenerys calling herself Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, despite never having set foot on the mainland.  
Varys laughed at this. “Prince Oberyn said exactly the same thing to me all those years ag-”  
Ellaria’s tone changed dramatically “Never mention his name around me.” it was in this rage that Ellaria felt a gaping hole in her heart, normally that hole was filled with vengeance and hatred, not grief and despair, as she felt now. She was never the same after Oberyn’s death.  
“I do apologise, I never meant to cause offence. He was a great man, that’s all that I will say of that matter.”  
This softened Ellaria a little. “At the feast, we’ll have a toast to the loved ones whom we have lost.”  
“Will we ever have enough wine to toast every loved one that we have lost?”


	3. Yara II

She would never admit it to anyone but Theon, but she really, truly, hated Tyrion Lannister. For all of the dwarf’s talk of justice and fairness, he seemed to have forgotten his family’s involvement in almost every dishonourable act that he spoke of: the murder of Rhaegar and Elia’s children, the murder of Ned Stark, the crowning of Joffrey, the Red Wedding…  
And now, Tyrion had the gall to openly speak of finding Dany a suitable man whilst purposefully ignoring Yara and Dany’s relationship. His words cut into Yara deeper than any sword. The list of men that Tyrion suggested were insulting; no Westerosi man was worthy of Dany’s love. It was the suggestion of Robin Arryn that forced Yara to speak out.  
“He is a sickly boy with no concept of honour. What did he do to help his House? Nothing. He’s done nothing of any significance. He sucked from his mother’s breast until she flung herself into oblivion out of madness-”  
Tyrion wouldn’t listen to this, however “The Vale has an army. A very big one at that. And we need all of the forces that we can muster.”  
“And what of the world once this is over?” Yara felt the rage boil inside of her “When the war is won, Daenerys will be left to bear the children of a sickly boy. What kind of future is that? And his army, what did they do in the war of the five kings? They stayed in the Vale like cowards.”  
“As opposed to leading a failed invasion of the North? At least the man of House Arryn can still impregnate women.”  
That was it. The final fucking straw. Tyrion crossed the line with that remark. Insulting her was one thing; making light of Theon’s torture was another. “You’ll keep your goddam mouth shut or else you can find another fleet to carry your worthless arse to Westeros. I do seem to recall that it was under your watch that your own navy was destroyed. Were it not for me and my brother, you’d still be in Meereen. Don’t forget that.”  
And with that, Yara left the room.  
*  
The floorboards creaked under her feet. Dany and Missandei had lain an outfit on the bed for her to wear as they arrived in Dorne. Despite Yara’s protest, Dany had given her a dress to wear. It was this side of invasion that Yara hated the most- the formality and bureaucracy of it all. Why should what she wore matter when they were planning future battles? She missed the simplicity of raiding and reaving; she simply got on a ship with her men and they planned where to go as they pleased. What they wore didn’t matter, unless it affected their ability to fight or made it easy for a blade to cut into them.  
“You’ll look beautiful no matter what you wear.” Dany said as she walked into the cabin, gently wrapping her arms around Yara’s waist.  
“So why can’t I just wear my armour?”  
“Because it could be seen as a sign that you’re ready to fight.”  
“But I am, we’re about to go to war, that’s the only reason that we’re landing in Dorne in the first place.”  
Dany sighed, she seemed to know that what she’d say next would upset Yara. “Tyrion said we should look as friendly as possible, meaning no armour.”  
“No armour? Fuck that. Is he going to make the Unsullied show up wearing frilly frocks or something?” Yara hated Tyrion, but she hated the influence he had over Dany even more.  
The two stood there, silently. They both knew that this would probably be the last moment that they would share, just the two of them, not having to worry about war or scheming or lies. They had their arms wrapped around each other, Yara had her face buried in Dany’s white, wavy hair, Dany had her cheek pressed against where Yara’s neck met her shoulder. “Why don’t you just wear your armour.” Dany whispered. “I’ll be arriving with three dragons behind me, so it definitely will look like we’re here to fight.”  
Yara pulled away so she could look into Dany’s eyes. “And you want them to know that you’ve got a super hot warrior raider protecting you.”  
They both laughed at that, their heads bumped each other. Foreheads pressed together, they let the moment linger.  
“I love you, Daenerys Targaryen.” The words escaped Yara’s lips before she could stop herself.  
“I love you, Yara Greyjoy.” Dany placed her lips against Yara’s and they began kissing. Yara didn’t want this kiss to end, as she didn’t know when the next one would come.  
There was a knock at the door, it was Theon.  
“We’re arriving in Dorne.”


	4. Sansa I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa and Jon receive a message from the queen.
> 
> Set a while before Dany lands in Dorne.

She should’ve felt happy here. It had been her dream for years to be standing here, in her home, safe from the Lannisters and the Boltons, instead being surrounded by those she loved.  
Except, she wasn’t.  
Winterfell was the home of the Starks, once. The walls used to hold memories of her father’s laugh, her mother’s love, Robb’s smile. Now the walls held her down, trapped her with a monster of unfathomable evil. No matter how many times Jon told her that she was safe now, no matter how many times she saw the Stark banners fly, no matter how many times she was called ‘Lady Stark’, Sansa still felt like she was in a prison.  
The halls, once the veins of Winterfell’s heart, were now a labyrinth. Here she was, lying in her old bed, where she slept as a child. Except, it wasn’t her old bed. It had been replaced, Sansa didn’t know when. Many people had slept in the bed before, Greyjoys and Boltons alike. She didn’t belong there. She stared at the ceiling, wishing she was anywhere else but here, almost yearning to play the game that had once caused her so much misery.  
That thought made her sick, but maybe you had to be sick to play the game of thrones.  
*  
The North used to be so isolated from the drama between the other Great Houses, until her aunt was crowned queen of love and beauty and it all went to shit, and the Starks were systematically killed due to their inability to play the game of thrones.  
Jon thought that declaring the North independent from the rest of Westeros would free them from politics; Sansa knew that wasn’t the case. It took Sansa days to convince Jon that getting Littlefinger out of Winterfell was more important than the Vale army he held, even then, Sansa knew that Petyr would always be able to influence events, no matter how far away he was.  
As the snow fell, she wondered what her mother did when winter came. She missed her, and her father, and Robb, and Rickon, and Bran and Arya, wherever they were. Her grieving was interrupted by Jon’s voice behind her. “Thought you’d be interested in hearing what’s in this letter before it’s read out at the small council.” He held a rolled-up sheet of paper in his hand, his brow knotted.  
“What does it say- is it from the Vale?”  
“Kingslanding.” Was all Jon said, his voice was cold, deflated. He handed Sansa the scroll.  
Kingslanding… her mind swam with dread and worry. There was a lot she’d run from when she left Kingslanding, and it seems that it had finally caught up with her.  
With shaking hands, she opened the scroll out and read what was inside.  
“The Queen, Cersei Lannister, requests that the Head of Winterfell immediately travel to Kingslanding to bend the knee, reaffirming their loyalty to the Iron Throne. By not doing this, the North declares itself a traitor and enemy to the Crown and will be punished as such.”  
The snow seemed to spin around her, the ground shake. Sansa was sinking and was short of breath. The tears were streaming down her cheeks before she realised she was in shock. Cersei was queen. Cersei Lannister was the queen. The woman who abused her was the queen. The woman who let her son beat and abuse her was the queen. The woman whose family destroyed Sansa’s was the queen.  
She felt Jon’s warm arms wrapped around her shoulders. He said something to her, she didn’t hear what. She was shaking. Jon held her tight.  
Her lower lip trembled, she had to say something to Jon so that he’d know how she was feeling. The words never came, she couldn’t form a proper sentence.  
She felt her knees were about to buckle.  
“Margaery.” Was all she said before she fell to the ground.  
If Cersei was queen the Margaery had to be dead. She remembered their walks in the garden, Margaery’s fingers intertwined with hers, the sun beating down upon them. Margaery had always promised to take Sansa to Highgarden. Now she never will.  
Jon knelt beside her, using his sleeve to wipe away her tears. “I’m sorry.”  
Sansa looked to Jon, “She’s dead, Jon. She was the queen, and now- now she’s dead and Cersei Lannister is queen. And- and- Margaery is gone.”  
Sansa was sobbing now.  
“I loved her.”  
*  
The Small Council session seemed to never end. The conversation seemed to be going around in circles. Jon should go south. No, he shouldn’t. Cersei cannot be trusted. She could be a vital ally in the fight against the Dead. These words meant nothing to Sansa, she was thinking about Highgarden, imagining the gardens despite never having seen them. She remembered Margaery gushing about them for hours before frantically apologising for boring Sansa, and quickly asking about Winterfell.  
“Sansa, you’re the one with the most experience with Cersei.” Jon’s voice brought her back to Winterfell. “Would I be a fool to trust her?”  
Sansa couldn’t help but laugh at Jon’s naivety. “You’d be the biggest fool in the Seven Kingdoms. Cersei Lannister is a sadistic killer and you’d be dead before you even got to Kingslanding.”  
Davos put his head in his hands “You don’t seem to be holding anything back, m’lady.”  
The mere mention of a Stark willingly going to Kingslanding caused Sansa’s blood to boil, she was holding back years of hatred and abuse at the hands of Cersei. “My Lord, I beg your pardon but if you knew Cersei the way I knew her then you’d know just how much I was holding back.”  
“Well we don’t know Cersei the way you do. That’s why we’re asking.” Jon’s tone was getting harsh, unsympathetic.  
“She threw our father in prison. She let him be executed and made me watch. Her son made me look at Ned’s head on a spike and I would have to marry him. I was abused, humiliated, starved and beaten by her and her family.” Tears were falling down Sansa’s cheeks, the words were spilling out her mouth and she couldn’t stop them. “I was a play thing for her to exert her power on purely for her pleasure. And throughout all of this, the worst part of it all… Cersei made me say that I loved her, she always reminded me that I was the daughter of a- of a traitor and had traitor’s blood in me. And she made me call Robb a traitor. When the North celebrated a victory, I was beaten by guards in the throne room to ‘send the North a message’. So yes, I know Cersei Lannister the best, but that’s only because she wanted me to see the evil in her. So go South, Jon, go South. Go and try and get Cersei’s army and just see what happens. You’ll never see the North again.”  
It took a moment for her words to sink in, she’d really said all of that. Lots of her pain had just been shown to the Small Council and it couldn’t be taken back. The walls of the chamber seemed to be closing in on Sansa. She walked out the chamber before she could hear anyone’s response, slamming the door behind her.  
She quickly walked through the corridors, her mid was spinning. She really just did that. She’d said all of that. She bore her heart and then she ran away. She needed to clear her head.  
She never got a chance to.  
Maester Wolkan was standing in front of her, scroll in hand. “It’s from Lord Baelish, my Lady.”  
“Thank you.” She took the scroll and read it. Her blood ran even colder, and Sansa didn’t believe that possible.  
Petyr was warning her about Daenerys Targaryen and the army she was bringing to Westeros.


	5. Ellaria II

Ellaria looked at her daughter, Olenna’s words ringing in her ears. Tyene had had to watch on as her mother shook violently, the words “Your father is dead. Oberyn- is dead.” leaving her lips sporadically. And now, Tyene would watch her mother plan battles with Greyjoys and the Dragon Queen.  
They both sat in silence. There was something that they both longed to say, but knew they couldn’t. I wish Oberyn were here. Ellaria’s teeth sank deep into her lower lip, her eyes looking up to the ceiling. Maybe she’d made a mistake bringing the Targaryen to Dorne- which had managed to keep itself out of Aegon’s conquest 300 years before. Tyene’s fingers drummed against the arm of the chair, eventually she broke the wordless quiet. “Is she hot?”  
“Who?”  
“The Dragon Queen. I want to know in advance if she’ll be a… distraction.”  
“She is radiant, but not exceptional. Not to your tastes, and already has a Westerosi woman so don’t bother.” There was a hint of bitterness and a taste of envy in her voice. “And don’t bother coming, unless you class holding your tongue as a Lannister sits in Sunspear as a respected guest a good way to spend your day.”  
“You and the Queen of Thornes sat at the same table as the Imp? Mama, we both know how that will turn out.”  
*  
Ellaria scanned the table. She was largely unimpressed.  
Varys sat, quiet as ever. Next to him sat the male Greyjoy, with a gaunt face and untamed hair, she knew that the boy inside had died a long time ago, and that this was just a shell of a man. To his right sat Lady Olenna, whose face bore the exact same look of cynicism and doubt as her own did. Then sat the third Eunuch of the group, a man clad in leather looking armour, with a face less expressive than sandstone. Next to him sat a woman with big hair and a face filled with hope. She seemed to be the most delusional person at the table- second most delusional person at the table. The most delusional title went to Tyrion fucking Lannister, who was standing at the table, ploughing through some shit battle plans he’d clearly only thought of whilst bored on the boat sailing across the Narrow Sea.  
It wasn’t until Yara Greyjoy spoke up that Tyrion stopped droning on.  
“You’re forgetting about Euron.” She said, also standing up, adding additional pieces to the map that was lain across the table. This made Ellaria raise her eyebrow, she was impressed at this woman’s nerve.  
“I highly doubt he’ll be a problem.” Was all Tyrion said to Yara. “Now, as I was saying-”  
“A man commanding hundreds of ships without a scrap of loyalty is a problem. A problem that we’ll have to face.”  
“Again, Euron Greyjoy isn’t an immediate threat to-”  
“He was a threat to my father. He’s a threat to me and Theon. He’s a threat to Daenerys. He’s fucking dangerous. Any fool who knew him could point that out.”  
Ellaria sat back in her chair and watched in awe as this sea fairing commander tore the Imp to pieces with words and reason. She sipped her wine and smiled softly to herself.  
“So, you’re saying that your sister has no allies, yet her uncle has a massive fleet that’s just… floating across the sea.” Olenna Tyrell was looking Tyrion Lannister dead in the eye as she spoke; everyone noticed the emphasis that had been put on “your sister”. Ellaria waited to see how the queen to be would react.  
“Tyrion Lannister has proved himself just as loyal and valuable as any other person at this table has.” The words were cold, calculated. Daenerys seemed to be indicatng that this was not a subject that would be up for discussion.  
She’d clearly misjudged the people sat at the table.  
“And how many men has he brought with him? Are they camped alongside my men, or the Dornish?”  
Ellaria put her wine down and started talking. “The real question is how many more enemies do we have with him on our side?”  
Tyrion was struggling to think of something to say, as was Daenerys. They’d sailed across the Narrow Sea to fight a war, but they clearly didn’t expect the fighting to be with words, and not as soon as the very first war council meeting. Ellaria could see Daenerys looking to Yara to say something, Yara leaned in to whisper something in response. Ellaria watched the woman’s lips form the words “I told you it wasn’t a good idea to bring a Lannister to Dorne.” A small laugh escaped Ellaria’s lips, and she had a suspicion that if Yara were the one giving out the battle plans then the war would already be won.  
Tyrion had also clearly heard what Yara said, as he walked out the room without a word, leaving a tense silence behind him.  
“I’ll take that as a sign that this meeting is over.” Olenna said, getting out of her chair and walking toward the doorway as she spoke.  
“You’re dismissed.” Was all Daenerys said, before walking out too.  
Tyene will wish she she were there to see that.


	6. Yara III

Yara rarely prayed to the Drowned God; when he picked Euron to become King of the Iron Islands Yara lost all the faith she’d ever had in him. This god had let the Greyjoys be tortured and humiliated yet all Greyjoys had to worship him as his loyal servant. She truly hated the idea of that.  
But now, all Yara wanted was for the Drowned God to open up the ground beneath her and let her drown in the salty sea beneath.  
That wasn’t going to happen. Instead she was having to chase after her dragon owning girlfriend after planning a war went horribly wrong. The worst part of it all was that Olenna and Ellaria had a point, more importantly they have armies; Tyrion has neither.  
“Daenerys- Daenerys come on.” Yara was calling out to the figure a few metres ahead of her. “Look Daenerys, we need to talk about this.” She knew her words were falling on deaf ears. Whenever Dany had one of her moments, she decided when she’d come back to reality. All Yara wanted was to be there when she did. But this, this was ridiculous.  
Normally by now she would’ve responded, even just one word. At least she’d said something. Now, Yara was just dealing with cold silence. There was a certain deadness in the air between them, and it had been lingering there since they’d arrived in Dorne. She’d been following Dany for a while now, but she was showing no sign of slowing down. “This is getting ridiculous. Say something. Anything. Just show me that you can hear me.” Yara was starting to give up, maybe she should let Dany keep on walking. The only question being when would she come back. “Daenerys, you’ve never been here before. You’ll get yourself lost.”  
Yara slumped against the wall, and watched as Dany disappeared around a corner. She needed a moment to compose herself before turning back and joining everyone else. She buried her face in her hands, before putting them back at her sides and breathing in deeply.  
“Seems like the only lost one is here.”  
Yara looked behind her and saw Lady Ellaria stood in the doorway. She’d clearly been following her. Her voice seemed playful, but sympathetic. Yara was never one for formalities, she hated all of the ‘m’lords’ and ‘m’ladies’ and ‘your grace’s, but she decided to at east start of formal with Ellaria.  
“My Lady, I-”  
“Was chasing after my girlfriend like a loyal pup, getting ready to apologise for something that I would applaud.”  
Wow. Just wow.  
“Um, how do you know that me and Daenerys are…”  
“Fucking? Easily. The way you two look at each other. And only a woman in love would follow… that.”  
“Are you insulting-”  
“No-”  
“Stop interrupting me.”  
“It’s fun. Anyway, Daenerys was brought here on one of your ships, so she’s your problem.”  
“That she is.”  
Yara felt Ellaria grab her by the arm and guide her through the corridors. It was at this point that Yara wondered if she were being lead to Ellaria’s chambers.  
“The gardens in Sunspear are beautiful, it would be criminal to have travelled the world and not to have seen them. They’re a nicer place to talk in than airy corridors.”  
*  
Ellaria was right. The green of the plants brought out the colours of the flowers, a sweet breeze flowed through Yara’s hair.  
“Your heart is in the right place,” Ellaria said, taking the wine glass from the servant and giving it to Yara. She thanked the servant as she took her own glass “The thing is, you are lost.”  
“And you’re not?”  
“Quite the opposite; tell me Yara, did you see the love of your life’s head be crushed by someone’s bare hands?”  
“I did see my brother being kept in a cage with the dogs cry out in fear when he saw me, he’d been so head-fucked that I thought there was nothing left of my brother to save. I saw the cliffs of Pyke where my father would remind me of how much disgrace I and Theon had brought to the name Greyjoy.”  
Yara felt Ellaria’s hand hold on to hers. “He is with you now; maybe not all of him, but enough. Whenever I close my eyes, I can see… the blood, hear his…” Yara held Ellaria tight. “Let me tell you something, I died too, that day. We both know of things that, once seen, never leave you. They change you into… into something that you don’t even know anymore.”  
The wine entered Yara’s mouth at the same rate as the memories from the voyage back from the Dreadfort. Yara had never been so cruel whilst raiding villages. The coastal villages in the Vale had never had to face the Ironborn before, so they were even less prepared than those she was used to.  
“When your heart can’t take it anymore, it shuts down. And in its wake, it leaves behind malice and vengeance.”  
Yara looked to Ellaria as she said this, the Dornish woman’s façade of pure power had gone, and she was now looking at the real Ellaria.  
“I guess we’ve both committed unforgivable acts. But there’s a hope that things will get better.”  
Even as she said it, Yara didn’t believe the second half of what she spoke.  
“If your hope is placed in Daenerys Targaryen, you’ll be disappointed.”  
There it was. All of the doubts that Yara had been suppressing had been right after all. When Yara had first laid eyes on Dany, she fell in love almost instantly. All of the nights the two had spent on the ship, drinking wine and speaking out the world they’d always dreamt of living in, now felt like a distant memory. Dany, herself, seemed like a distant memory. It seemed that there was only Daenerys Targaryen, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Mother of Dragons…  
All Yara could think of was the sight of Dany walking away from her.  
“You’re suggesting that she hasn’t already disappointed me.”  
Her mind then went to the sight of Ellaria stood in the doorway.  
After all, it was Ellaria who was stood in front of her, not Daenerys.  
Ellaria placed her glass on to the wall the lined the garden, Yara did the same. She felt the warmth of Ellaria’s hands on her cheeks, her lips pressing onto her own. Yara felt it throughout her whole body, wrapping her own hands around Ellaria’s waist.  
But then she caught herself, pushing Ellaria away.  
“I can’t.”  
It was all she could say before walking away as quickly as her feet would carry her.


	7. Nymeria I

Nymeria watched as Ellaria drank her fifth glass of wine, only pausing to insist that “that Greyjoy woman didn’t matter” and that “she wasn’t even that good a kisser”.  
“Look, I’m sure Yara-”  
“Don’t say her name.”  
“Sorry, but if your girlfriend had a short temper, two armies and three dragons, you’d be more than a little hesitant to get into any other relationships on the side.”  
“It’s not like they even have that strong of a relationship anyway. Daenerys wasn’t even willing to argue with her- just walk away angrily.”  
“All the more reason for-” she caught herself “her to need to seem like the ‘perfect loyal girlfriend’. Odds are she’s been looking for a reason to break up with Daenerys since they arrived in Dorne.”  
“Possibly, but why didn’t she just tell me that?”  
“Because Varys probably has spies everywhere. Deny it if you like, but he will have spies here. Those spies tell Varys, who tells Daenerys, who will have you killed.”  
“Thanks for the faith.” Ellaria’s words dripped in sarcasm.  
“Thanks for the army.” A small part of Nymeria was still in disbelief at the fact that she would be the commander of the Dornish army.  
“No problem, it’ll be way better than commanding some naval fleet.”  
Nym rolled her eyes “Totally.”  
*  
The second meeting somehow went wore than the first- at that was an achievement.   
The second war council went as follows:  
Daenerys demands Tyrion be given respect, Olenna cuts her off by demanding that Tyrion bring an army, or at least a half decent battle plan.  
Ellaria (very reasonably) demands that the Dothraki be kept under control, Daenerys tries to justify their actions as ‘the way the Dothraki live’.   
Yara defends Ellaria, causing Ellaria great confusion.   
Daenerys gives Yara a dirty look, which is ignored.  
Tyrion tries speaking, which is almost universally disapproved of.  
Yara and Tyrion outline the battle plans, both exclusively focusing on attacking from the south and east.  
“What about the North?” Nymeria asked. “There’s a bunch of fighters up there.”  
Varys stood up, and pointed at Winterfell, “It’s controlled by the Boltons, who had sided with the Lannisters, but after marrying Ramsay Bolton to Sansa Stark, declared themselves enemies of the Crown.”  
There was a noticeable change in Theon Greyjoy’s demeanour.  
“If there is a Stark in Winterfell then they shall be captured and brought to justice for the part they had in killing my father.” Daenerys’ voice was cold.  
“Now, you stop right there. After the rebellion, and before, House Stark has been fucked bloody by both the gods and by almost every house represented at this table.” Lady Olenna had the table in a shocked silence. She pointed directly at Daenerys “It was your brother who kidnapped and raped Lyanna Stark, and your father who murdered Brandon and Rickard Stark.” She then turned her attention to Tyrion “And it was your family that imprisoned and executed Ned, got the North to betray their own king- Robb. Kill him and his mother before defiling their bodies. Lady Catelyn having her throat cut to the bone before being dumped in to a river. And Robb, he had the head of his Direwolf sewn onto his shoulders on the orders of your father.” She then looked at the Greyjoys “Yours was the House that invaded the North the most, done the most damage to the North as a whole.” She paused for a moment, Nymeria saw all of the colour drain from Yara’s face, and all of the life from Theon’s. “But it was the only one to pay the price.”  
“When you’re done preaching the Northern cause-” Daenerys interjected.   
“I’m not.” Olenna continued “And Sansa Stark should be saved from the monsters who murdered her family. Sansa Stark is the victim of the game that we’re playing now, the game that we’ve been playing for years. And Tyrion, yours was the family that tortured her from the moment your sister put Ned Stark in chains. And now, she’s with the Boltons. Have you heard the stori-”  
“Don’t.” This was the first time Nymeria had ever heard Theon speak, and he spoke with enough conviction to make Olenna stop talking “Sansa Stark s-saved me.” He struggled with every word he spoke, Nymeria had heard whispers of what had been done to Theon at the hands of the Boltons, and if merely speaking of them caused Theon this much pain, she dreaded to think of what had happened at Winterfell.  
“She may have saved you, but her family helped destroy mine.” There was no emotion in the Queen’s voice, even Yara and Tyrion showed looks of tangible disgust. “She’ll be brought to Dorne in chains to face justice for her family’s crimes.”  
Then at that moment, footsteps echoed throughout the chamber, and everyone looked to the entrance. Nymeria saw a woman, her hair cascading over her shoulders, a look in her eyes as cold as night.  
“Chains won’t be needed.” Was all she said.  
Theon seemingly sprung back to life. “Sansa.”


	8. Yara IV

Any words from anyone were cut off by Dany shouting to have the woman stood at the door put in chains.   
“I do believe that chains will be necessary. Your family has committed countless crimes against my family.”  
Sansa stood firmly, looking Dany dead in the eye “As has yours against mine.” She said in a voice as cold as the North itself. Yara could see Sansa’s eyes look at every face sat at the table with a surprisingly hopeful look on her face- she had a better relationship with these people than Dany did. Sansa looked at Yara with a conflicted expression; the Greyjoys and Starks may have been historical enemies but she was Theon’s sister. Yara couldn’t figure out what sort of relationship Sansa and her brother shared, all she knew what that it was important. Important enough to speak out about.  
“Our houses may not have gotten along well, but my brother and I would not be here without you. For that you have my gratitude.”  
She felt Dany’s hand on her shoulder and her breath in her ear “Do not show her any support.” was all that she said.  
“For the love of the gods, take those damn chains off of her this instant. My granddaughter had planned to save her from the Boltons. It would be a disgrace to her memory to have Lady Stark in chains.”  
Yara saw a look of pain in Sansa’s eyes at the mention of Queen Margaery. She looked to Theon; it was killing him seeing Sansa being a prisoner again. She then looked to Lady Olenna who shared a similar look to Theon. She tried to catch Dany’s eye, try and talk to her.  
But Dany and Sansa were staring each other down, it was clear that Olenna’s words hadn’t reached Dany’s ears. Unblinking and expressionless, it was Sansa who broke the silence.  
“I believe that it would be unwise to have me in chains, my brother is the King in the North and he’s very protective of his family. Also, the present company don’t seem to approve of my being in chains. Is your hatred of my father worth losing your only allies in Westeros?”  
“I will not be spoken to like that.”   
“Your Grace,” Tyrion piped up but Yara knew that he and Sansa shared a connection in Kingslanding, maybe his influence over Dany would actually be positive for once “Sansa Stark has a good name, and I’ll be quite frank here when I say that having me as your Hand has nearly driven away at least half of the table, having Sansa as a prisoner would drive away every Westerosi here. That includes me, she has endured unimaginable torment, I want no part in its continuation.” Maybe Yara had underestimated Tyrion.  
Dany silently raised her hand and the chains were taken off of Sansa, all the while the two not once breaking eye contact. It wasn’t until the Unsullied returned to their position by the door that Sansa moved; running over to Theon who stood up to greet her. The two wrapped their arms around each other in such a close way that Yara knew that she’d never be able to share with her brother, Sansa had been there for Theon when Yara had left him. She’d never forgiven herself.  
*  
The Dornish sun filtered through the curtains of Dany’s chambers.  
“You and your brother seem to like her.” Dany sipped her wine.  
“I hate politics as much as you do. Sansa is important to Tyrion, Lady Olenna, my brother, Ellaria possibly.” Yara’s heart sank a little saying that name. “Regardless of how we feel, we need to understand her importance and the importance of keeping her alive. She’ll be an important ally.”  
Yara looked to Dany who was sat at the edge of the bed, she stretched over to grab her wine.  
“If you had to choose between me or your brother, who would you pick?”  
The goblet nearly fell from Yara’s hand, the question shook her inside. She didn’t know what answer to give. She paused before responding.  
“My brother and I pledged ourselves to your cause. We’ll do everything that we can to get you on the throne.”  
“That’s not what I asked.”  
“But that’s how I’ll respo-“  
Dany cut Yara off. “Do you love me?”  
Every word that Yara had ever learned left her mind. Every detail, memory, thought, idea left Yara’s mind. She watched the white curls fall down Dany’s shoulders and she looked her in the eye. This wasn’t the Dragon Queen of the War Councils that she was looking at, this was Dany, the woman who she’d sailed across the Narrow Sea with, who had spent sleepless nights with her, whose head Yara had held when she felt seasick, who had spent sunrises watching the sun rise from the east, and watched the sun set in the west. Yara looked at the woman she loved. A nod was all that she could manage before kissing Dany with every bit of energy she had in her.  
Maybe the Dragon and the Kraken could make things work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's good to be back


End file.
